The Anatomy of a School Shooter
by shavingryansprivates4life
Summary: Four students are now suspects after they are absent from Goode High the day an unknown shooter opened fire on two students. Trainee psychiatrist Hestia is reluctantly dragged into the case and is asked to do two things-spend time with the suspects and report significant findings. As the group becomes closer, the question still remains: Which one of the students is the shooter?
1. Prologue

**A/N-Well hello people of FF! Um this is my first story so please review and tell me how I do! This is a really short prologue but if I get enough reviews I will probably update another chapter later in the evening. Maybe. A few more things before I leave: Everything is AU. Everyone is human and most characters will be OCC. So enjoy this really short paragraph and I'll catch you next chapter!**

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**Prologue-**

_My watch reads exactly 1 pm, and in the distance I can hear the buzz of the school bell indicating the end of the first lunch break._

Time to move.

_I run through the mental checklist of necessary equipment for my mission. My climbing harness is securely in place, the ropes and gear are safely stowed in my backpack. My gun is loaded, safety on. I feel its cold metal pressing against the small of my back, itching to be used. _

_I go over my plan in my mind once more. The window of Mr. Blofis's room is easily accessible with good climbing gear and my makeshift grappling hook. I know that he always leaves his window open and that third period is his prep period; he is rarely in the classroom at this time. Once I am in inside, it will simply be a matter of locating my target. The gun has six bullets in its chambers; hopefully I'll only use one today but collateral damage is also a possibility._

_My attire is simple: jeans, a three-quarter length jacket to conceal the gun and my climbing harness, a baseball cap, and sunglasses with a dark tint. As long as I stay unidentified and escape without any problems, I won't be suspected. After all, why would someone like me do something this crazy?_

_The second bell rings. I take a deep breath and begin making my way through the bushes, towards the high school._

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**A/N- Told you it was short.**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N- Hey guys, it's me again. I hope you hated the prologue and want an actual chapter now. Anyway, in this chapter you'll find out what happened in the prologue-even though you can probably guess from the prologue and the summary but yeah. You'll meet like most of the main characters and their 'role' in this story. Thanks for reading and again, tell me how I'm doing in your review!**

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The Daring Report

February 19, 2013

Yesterday, shortly after 1 pm, an unidentified person entered Goode High school through the third-floor window of an empty classroom and opened fire on two students in a nearby hallway. Hercules, 17, was killed by the gunfire; his girlfriend, Calypso, 16, was critically injured and remains in the hospital at an unstable condition. The shooter then escaped through the same classroom window that was his or her entry point.  
Police have yet to identify the shooter or name suspects. Witnesses who appeared at the scene just as the shooter was escaping have said he or she appeared to older-somewhere around the age sixteen to eighteen-and slender; however none of the witnesses could confirm the shooter's identity or gender.  
A funeral for Hercules will be held next Saturday, February 26, at 1 pm. The school will be closed this week in order for further investigation. It is expected for the school to reopen Monday, February 28.  
-R. Dare

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_Riiiiiiiiiiing!_  
The sound of my phone jerked me out of my half-sleep. I gasped; blinking as I groggily reached for my phone and squinted at its bright light.  
Mental health department, the caller ID read. Odd. Wonder why they're calling me on my day off.  
I sighed and pressed the answer button. "Hello?"  
"Hey, Hestia-it's Fleecy." The department's secretary rang in my ear. "Did I wake you up?"  
"A bit," I mumbled sleepily. "What's up?"  
"Sorry to bother you but there's a man named Chiron Brunner trying to get a hold of you." Fleecy informed me. "He says it's urgent."  
Chiron Brunner?  
I searched my memory for a face to match the name and could not find one. "Who is he? Do you know him?"  
"No, sorry," Fleecy replied. "He gave me a number for you to call him at." She gave me the number and I committed it to memory for the time being. Hanging up the phone, I sat up, yawned loudly, and swung my legs over the side of the bed.  
I shuffled into the bathroom, splashed water on my face and ran a brush through my chin-length brown hair, glancing at the clock in the bathroom as I did so. 9:15.  
Sighing, I threw on my bathrobe and made my way into the kitchen, started a pot of coffee, and turned on my computer to check my email. Only once all this was done did I remember the reason I had been woken up early on my day off. Right. Got to phone that Chiron guy.  
I punched in the number into my cell phone and waited for the ring. The phone rang twice, and a man picked up. "Chiron Brunner."  
"Hello Chiron, this is Hestia-you wanted me to call you."  
"Ah yes, Hestia. I'm not sure if we've met; I'm the principal of Goode High school. How are you?"  
Goode High. That's where the school shooting was.  
"Not too bad, sir, how are you?" I replied.  
He sighed. "I've got my hands full, to say the least."  
"I can imagine," I replied. "I'm so sorry for your loss."  
"Well, we're doing the best we can." He said in a heavy tone. Then, "Listen, Hestia, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind coming to the school and being around for a few days next week once classes resume, just as grief support for any students who need it. Our regular counselors will probably be pretty busy, and I know you have connections with a few of the teens here."  
I racked my brain, realizing quickly that he was right; several of my youth did attend Goode. "So you want me to come and be a grief counselor?" I repeated.  
"Essentially, yes. Just to hang around the school, be there for the kids who need someone to talk to."  
I paused and thought over his request then sighed. "Yeah, I guess I can do that," I relented, still feeling a bit uneasy about the whole thing.  
"Excellent," Chiron replied. "Can you come to the school first thing Monday?"  
"Sure," I pulled up the calendar on my phone and typed in the information. "See you then, Chiron."

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Feb. 26

Dear L,

I went to Hercules' funeral today and it was pretty crazy. Everyone was crying their eyes out, going on and on about what a great person he was and how much they'll miss him. L, am I a bad person for not feeling that way? I didn't know Hercules that well, and I feel like I'm supposed to be horribly sad that he's gone, but we weren't exactly best friends. I didn't know him, other the fact that he used to harass me in ninth grade. That's pretty much all I knew about the guy.  
I don't know Calypso either, but I feel terrible for her. I've heard that the bullet landed in her spine. It'll probably be several months before she can even think about walking again. It could've been worse, of course-at least she'll recover-but I can't imagine getting injured and losing a boyfriend at the same time. Poor girl. I should go visit her sometime.  
I guess I'm feeling a lot of things-empathy for Calypso, sadness about Hercules, confusion on why someone would even shoot Calypso and Hercules in the first place. But, in all honesty, the emotion I am feeling the most right now is envy.  
Why, L? Why couldn't it have been me? That would've made everything so much simpler. Really, it would have.  
Donec mortem nobis pars,  
Annabeth

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**A/N- Thanks for reading and I'll see you next update! :D**


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N- Hey guys! I hope you're having a great day and I hope I can make your day brighter with this chapter! Anyway so just to recap, last chapter we covered a funeral, got into Annabeth's thoughts-not pretty, huh? Um well we introduced Chiron and Hestia so yeah..fun stuff. Don't forget to leave a review and enjoy!**

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I stared up at the familiar heritage school building, frowning slightly. What am I getting myself into?  
On most days the schoolyard was filled with smiles and laughter; carefree kids walking into a long day of school. Today the teenagers were quiet, tense. They hung out in clusters around the school yard, glancing suspiciously at one another and talking in hushed tones.  
I walked through the yard and into the building, and weaved my way through the throngs of teens until I reached the staff room. The small room was packed with teachers and support staff, as well as several other youth psychiatrists from the area. I nodded at my comrades at arms; they smiled tensely back at me.  
Chiron, a tall, brown-haired man who looked to be in his 40s, stood up and began briefing us on the details of the shooting-most of which I already knew-and filling us in as to what our roles would be. I glanced at the other youth psychiatrists in the room-most of them were male, a few years older than me, and had been in psychology for years now. When the department would do introduce the local teens to group therapy, most had 50 to 100 kids per group. I was 25, with a bachelor's degree and almost two years of experience under my belt; even so-I was lucky if I got twenty kids attending my therapy sessions.  
I shook my head. Who am I kidding?  
Did I really know how to get teens through a tragedy this massive? Was I cut it for this? I thought back to a time that I'd had to counsel people through loss. I was a rookie-less than six months at the job-and the experience had broken me. Thankfully the grief therapists had understood and stepped in to help…but still, the experience had been anything but easy.  
Chiron gave us those of us who were not school staff to wear that identified us as counselors, and then sent us off to our respective posts. I was sitting with a few guys near the lobby, and my job was simply to wait for the students to come to me. The first bell rang and the teens began making their way to their classes. A few of them waved and smiled, and Annabeth Chase, my bosses' daughter, stopped for a few minutes to chat. But no one asked for help, for a counselor.  
Once the halls cleared, I waited for any students who happened to be in a free period or study hall to come my way, but to no avail. I stared at the lonely halls and wondered about the shooting, wondered why anyone would choose to wreak havoc on a school hallway and destroy the lives of innocent teens.  
I found my thoughts turning to Annabeth and her brother Malcolm, who was a sophomore in college. They were the kind of kids that I didn't know what to do with. They were supposed to be the youth psychiatrist's dream; the teens I would want to spend all my time with and mentor-calm, bright, and positive. But in reality, Annabeth and Malcolm intimidated me.  
They were too perfect, too pulled together. Next to them, I was a mess, and I felt that as a youth psychiatrist, there was nothing I could offer to young people like these two. I could encourage them, yes, but they had everything under control-or at least, that's how it seemed.  
The bell signifying the end of the first period rang, and the halls filled with students again for several minutes, and then cleared once again. Again, no students.  
During lunch, a few students from my sessions came by to say hello, but no one wanted to talk about the shooting. I sighed inwardly, wondering if the entire week would be like this-waiting for the occasional reluctant teenager to come bear their soul to me. I'd better bring a book or some work tomorrow, I concluded.  
Just then a woman who I recognized from the staff meeting came up to me. "You're Hestia, right? The youth psychiatrist?"  
I nodded. "That would be me."  
"Can you come with me, please?" she asked.  
I left my post and followed her curiously. Wonder what this is about.  
The woman led me into the school office and into the principal's office. My eyes widened at the scene before me.  
Chiron was sitting behind his desk next to a solemn looking police officer. In the chairs in front of his desk sat four uncomfortable-looking students, one of whom was Annabeth. She caught my eye and a look a relief crossed her features. "Hestia," she breathed. "Thank god you're here. Now we can get this all cleared up."  
"I'm sorry, what?" I asked, looking from Annabeth to Chiron curiously. "What's going on here?"  
"You know me, Hestia," Annabeth went on. "You know I wouldn't shoot anyone, right?"  
My eyebrows narrowed in confusion and I looked at Chiron desperately. "Close the door, Hestia," Chiron directed me. I obeyed and looked back at him expectantly.  
Chiron surveyed the four teens in front of him, frowned, and then looked at me. "Hestia, we have reason to believe that one of these four students may be the shooter."  
I blinked in disbelief. "What?"  
The principal nodded. "The shooter entered the school through an open third-floor window that led into a classroom. For someone who did not this school's layout or schedule, this would be a ridiculous move-for all he or she knew, they might have found themselves in a class of students."  
I nodded. "So you believe a student was responsible for the shooting. But why one of these four?"  
"These four were the only students absent on the day of the shooting." Chiron continued. "Every other student was accounted for in the evacuation, and it's highly unlikely that the shooter could have escaped through the window, ditched the gear, and shown up in time for the emergency attendance." He paused. "Annabeth asked me to call you in as a sort of character reference for her, since you two know each other."  
I nodded slowly and looked over the four teens, realizing that I knew all of them to one degree or another. I certainly knew Nico, the wiry, black-clad boy with long black hair that partially obscured his black eyes. His sister, Bianca, was a freshman in college and had worked in my department as an intern, so I had seen Nico around a lot. When he'd reached high school age I had tried to reach out, to get him to come to a group session or at least talk to me, but he'd always done so in odd mysterious riddles.  
The handsome, surfer guy-looking kid was Percy. He and his family had often come to my department's holiday parties. I had known his older brother Tyson, who was a teen at the time, better than Percy. When things started to fall apart in their family they stopped being as social, but I'd never forgotten Percy or Tyson.  
The young-looking girl with fiery red hair, freckles, and green eyes was Rachel. I didn't know her all that well; but she and I would see each other at art exhibits and galleries.  
"Please, Hestia," Annabeth pleaded. "Please tell him that I would never do something like that. You know me; you know there's no way I'd ever shoot someone!"  
I looked from Annabeth back to Chiron. "It's true." I replied. "I can't see Annabeth doing something that extreme. Come to think of it, from what I know of each of them-I can't see any of these four being the school shooter type."  
Chiron nodded. "We can't be completely certain, but there's a good chance." He looked at the four students in front him." Now listen, guys," he said to them, "we aren't accusing you, okay? We don't know who did it-it could've been one of you or someone we haven't thought of-but we do need to investigate every possibility. That's part of my job as principal; it's part of keeping the student body safe. So please don't take this personally. Hopefully we can get this sorted out soon and get back to our lives." He nodded at the teenagers. "That's all. You're dismissed."  
The students filed out of the office; Annabeth flashed a grateful smile as she left, and I started to leave also.  
"Hestia?" The officer said.  
"Yes?"  
"I'm Officer Argus," He paused. "Hestia, you say that you know all four of the students?"  
"Well as I said earlier, I don't know them all well, but yes, I'm familiar with each of them."  
Argus sat down in a chair and pulled out a notebook; I sat down in a seat next to his. "How much can you tell me about each of them, Hestia?"  
"Hmmm," I paused, racking my brain for what I knew of each of them. "Well I know Annabeth the best, because her father-the head psychiatrist -is my boss," I began. "Annabeth's a great kid. She's always in the lobby welcoming the clients and helping them figure out what to do after therapy. I'm under the impression that she's the star student in school, too," I added, glancing at Chiron, who nodded.  
"And what about the others?" Argus asked.  
"Nico's sister is an intern for my department so the most I see of him is when she picks him up afterschool. All I know is that his the second of three siblings, his parents are together but I don't think they're a close family-they're all pretty busy-and that he seems to keep to himself a lot."  
"Rachel, I don't know her well but I met her in art gallery and she told me about her friend-also one of my clients-who went to some of my group sessions. I know she's hasn't been in Manhattan for long, and I believe that her family life isn't the best."  
Argus nodded. "And Percy?"  
"Well I knew Percy-and his parents and brother-when he was younger," I replied. "but apparently there was a tragedy in their family awhile back and I think the family sort of fell apart after that. That's about it; I don't know what his situation is now."  
Argus scribbled a few things on his notepad and turned to me. "There's one more thing that I'm wondering if you'd be willing to do, Hestia."  
"What's that?"  
"Well considering that you know these kids, would you be willing to spend some time with each of them, get to know them a little better, and see what you can find about them?"  
My eyes widened. "Are you asking me to be a spy?"  
"Well I wouldn't have rephrased it that way. I'm not asking you to interrogate or extract information out of them, Hestia. But you're a youth psychiatrist. They might open up to you about things that they wouldn't tell their principal, or a cop for that matter."  
I looked up at Argus. "Can I sleep on that one?"  
"Sure," He nodded. "I'll be here tomorrow. Let me know what you decide."

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**A/N-So thanks for reading guys and I'll see you next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N-Hey guys! So last chapters we introduced the major characters and things! Don't forget to review and enjoy!**

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**02/28/13**  
**Well I guess I learned my lesson. Don't skip school, or you might get framed for murder. **  
**Yeah…**  
**Seriously though, I was out of town. I took off Friday afternoon to swim at the YMCA and spent the weekend skateboarding around central park. I come back and I'm accused of being a murderer.**  
**Does this make sense to you? Didn't think so.**  
**Of COURSE the victims HAD to be Calypso and her new bf. Hercules, that's his name. The jerk in grade 11, the one who picks on anything that breathes. Great choice, Callie. I'm sure he'll treat you WAY better than I did.**  
**Not that it matters anymore. Hercules is dead (Long live the king.) and Calypso's going to be in the hospital for the next few months or so. And since they were the victims, who are people pointing the finger at? Yup, the ex-boyfriend who just HAPPENED to not come to school.**  
**Juvie better have some good food.**

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The writings of Sir Lionel  
Monday, the 28th of February, Anno Domini 2013  
So it appears that, due to my absence from school last Friday, I have been accused of murder. The unforeseen turn of events is horrific, highly amusing, and possibly exciting.  
Of course I am not responsible for the death; however I already have a strike against me in that my guardians do not know where I was the day of the murder. Of course if I'd told them where I was going, they would've thrown a fit. So, as my guardians to be advocate, I suppose I will have to fight alone.  
Admittedly, I am slightly flattered to be among those considered a threat. To know that people believe that I would have the strength to scale a wall and climb through a third-story window is more than slightly gratifying. And of course, the masses will consider me a freak or 'anti-social.' One day my peers will see that my mysterious ways are a mark of valor, not malice. Perhaps one day I'll be the Hero.  
One day.  
That evening I called up Hera, my sister, who lived in upper Manhattan, as a CEO.  
"That's unfortunate," she said the when I'd told her about the shooting that had happened last week and the meeting I'd had with Chiron, Argus, and the four students.  
"You're telling me," I replied. "But what do you think I should do about what the officer wants me to do. The last thing I want to do is build up the students' trust and then break it."  
"True," Hera replied. She was quiet for a moment, then, "If it were me, I'd help the case."  
"Really?"  
"It doesn't have to be a James Bond mission, Hestia. Just get to know the kids in question, spend some time with them, and be their friend. You might just enjoy the company. So get to know them and if you happen to come across anything interesting, then report it. I mean, if one of your patients had a serious mental problem that you couldn't do anything about, you'd probably go to the police, right?"  
"Right…"  
"So how is this any different? You're being there for them and keeping your eyes open for info on whom the killer might be-which is, ultimately, protecting other young people-and who knows, you might find some info that clears the kids, too."  
"Yeah, I'll do it. Thanks, Hera."  
"No problem-hey, I need to go. Call me tomorrow." Hera said to me.  
"Sure thing," I replied. "Love you."  
"Love you too." She replied, and hung up, leaving me with a finalized decision.

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The Daring Report  
February 28, 2013  
Editorial  
Let us now turn and look at the four young people who are now listed as suspects in the Goode High school shooting case.  
First there is Annabeth Chase, a senior honor student who moved to Manhattan three years ago from San Francisco. Annabeth is everything that you would expect a school shooter not to be: a gorgeous grey-eyed blonde who is brilliant and seemingly always happy. Why she would open fire on anyone is completely unknown.  
Next in line is Percy Jackson, also a senior. Personality-wise, Percy seems even less suspicious than Annabeth, in that he comes across as incredibly laid back. Percy (out of all the suspects) is the only Manhattan native but nonetheless, he almost seems the least likely of the four to pick up a firearm. However, he certainly does have a motive for the shooting-he is Calypso's ex-boyfriend, and she left him for Hercules earlier in the school year.  
Then there is Nico di Angelo, a mysterious junior, hailing from L.A., California. Not much is known about him other than he likes to wear black and talk as if he were from the 14th century. His loner ways and dark clothing-and the rumor that he likes to play with swords and other weapons in his spare time-fit the stereotypical school shooter perfectly; however he has no record whatsoever of any violent behavior and no known motive for shooting anyone.  
Last on the list of suspects is Rachel Dare, a junior who moved from upstate New York to Manhattan. Like Nico, she has no known motive for committing the crime but her colorful background and school records suggest she is a "troublemaker." Although she has not been known to be violent towards others; the police are still considering her a suspect.  
But which one is the shooter? And who were they targeting? Were Hercules and Calypso their intended victims, or did they happened to get in the way? These are questions waiting to be answered and soon.  
-R. Dare

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**A/N-So this chapter was basically just exposing the plot and what's going develop over the next chapters. I just wanted to get in a centralized like story line since the previous chapters were mostly background information. Thanks for reading and stayed tuned for chapter four!**


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N- Hey guys! Welcome to my story and if you're new here, here's a little filler. In chapter 3, we got a background look into all the four suspects and we also found out Hestia's decision. So fun stuff and please leave a review if you liked it!**

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The next morning I tracked down Argus and told him I'd do what he'd asked of me; the rest of the morning was spent in various counseling sessions. Come lunch time, I decided to leave my post and see if I could find the four kids who I was supposed to be watching.

I started my search on the third floor, avoiding the wing that had been cordoned off while forensic specialists continued to investigate the scene of the crime. I wandered the halls looking for any of the four suspects. At the end of my travels I came across Annabeth in the library, doing what looked like homework.  
"How are you doing?" I asked as I approached her table.  
"Not bad," she mumbled, her nose in her book. She looked up at me briefly. "You don't remember anything about trigonometry, do you?"  
I chuckled. "Nope, not really. I mean, I remember sine, cosine, and tangent, but I don't remember what any of them mean."  
"Hmmm," she said, staring back down at her work.  
I stared down at her. Wow, she's not her usual chatty self.  
"You doing homework?" I asked, trying to start a conversation.  
"Nope," she replied, not looking up. "I have a math test last period."  
"Ah," I took that as my cue to leave. "Well I'm sorry I can't help you Annabeth. I should let you study. See you later."  
She looked up suddenly and smiled her usual broad smile. "Of course-see you then, Hestia!" she said in an eager tone.  
I shook my head as I left the library. Annabeth was clearly unhappy about something, and for a few moments there, it had been obvious. Then she'd caught herself, and the mask had come back up.  
I retreated to the staff room to gather my belongings; I could only spend half a day at the school today because I had work at the department to do. Leaving the school building, I headed out past the portables to my car. I walked around the corner and almost tripped over Percy, who was sitting on the pavement, his back against the portable, plucking on his guitar.  
"Oh my god, I'm sorry!" I apologized after righting myself.  
"No problem." He shrugged and looked up at me for a moment, then back at his guitar. "Hey, you're that youth therapist who was in the office yesterday. Hestia, right?"  
"Sort of-I'm a youth psychiatrist."  
"Is there a difference?" He asked.  
"Um…I get paid more?"  
"Must be nice." Percy said as he began to tune the guitar.  
"Hey, I'm not sure if you remember me-but I knew you when you were younger." I told him.  
"Yeah," His voice fell slightly. "Yeah, I do."  
"Anyway…why are you hanging back here?" I asked curiously.  
Percy shrugged.  
"Just felt like it?" I probed.  
He shifted, obviously uncomfortable but he sighed heavily. "Someone got wind of what down yesterday and leaked it to, like, the whole school," he admitted. "Now most of my grade thinks I'm the shooter."  
"Ouch," I cringed.  
"Yeah," he said nonchalantly.  
"But why you, as opposed to any of the others?"  
"Me and Calypso used to date," Percy informed me. "Then I got dumped for Hercules so the fingers are pointed at me." He scoffed. "As if I know how to use gun. I'd even bet if I was the hero of some fictional, mythical story with gods and things, I'd probably drop my sword every time I even picked it up."  
That was oddly specific. "Huh," I filed this new information in the back of my mind. "That really sucks, Percy."  
"Life sucks sometimes." He said, a slight smile playing on his lips.  
"You want to talk about it?"  
Percy chuckled. "Isn't that what we're doing?"  
"Right," I agreed. "So have all your friends ditched you over this?"  
"Pretty much," he looked at the ground. "I wish I could prove it wasn't me, but I don't know how."  
"Well where were you on the day of the shooting?" I asked him.  
"My mom wasn't feeling good so I had to take her to the doctor; the appointment was long and by the time she was done it was 11:00, and I figured there was no point in going to school, so I told her I was going to swim a few laps at the YMCA and go skateboarding. So that's where I went. I was gone until Sunday night."  
I nodded. "And can't your mom vouch for you?"  
"The thing is, Mom only knows for sure where I was until 11. For all she knows, I could have come here, shot up the place, and then headed for the YMCA, right? That, and no one would listen to my mom-she's kind of crazy." The bell rang and Percy stood up. "Well I'd better get to class."  
"Bye, Percy." I replied, giving him a smile. "If you need someone to talk to, I'm around, ok?"  
Percy nodded and headed into the school, and I went to my car, glad to have been able to talk to at least one of the teens today.

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The writings of Sir Lionel  
The 1st of March, Anno Domini 2013  
Today at lunch I overheard two of my peers gossiping about me. They were whispering in tones that were mostly inaudible; however I did pick up the phrase, "just like the Newtown kids."  
I knew of the event they were referring to, a shooting which took place last December in an elementary school. After researching the shooting, it was quite a tragedy. However, I couldn't comprehend why the shooter chose young children who'd never provoked him-innocent children at that-to hurt.  
Of course, if I were the shooter, I would have done things slightly different. First of all, I wouldn't have killed children. Secondly, I would have not used a gun. Guns are the weapon of the common. Also, I wouldn't be a coward and would take responsibility for my deeds.  
Thankfully, this is all mere speculation. I do not desire to end the life of another for any reason. For the meantime, I will hope that the trials at hand do pass…

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March 1  
Dear L,  
This is terrible. Not only am I suspect in the case but some of my 'friends' went to the principal and told him about something I said almost three years ago. Basically, when I had first moved here, I might've bragged about the fact that I shot a gun. Unfortunately for me, I also embellished the details and said how precise and accurate my shooting was. So now they've told him, they've got it in their heads that I'm the guilty party.  
If it looks like I'm guilty, I'll just have to carry out my plans earlier than expected that's all. That would be sad-I was looking forward to grad and all-but I will do what I must. And if I get cleared of the charges, well, the deal still stands, L. You have till July to come through, or I'm out of here.  
Donec mortem nobis pars,  
Annabeth

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**A/N- Thanks for reading and I'll see you all next chapter. **


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N- Um so I think I need to figure out a solid schedule and time for uploading and I think I'm going to upload every Tuesday or Thursday (sometimes both.) Uploading isn't really a problem for me because I go to a school where having a laptop is required so of course there's wi-fi. I have internet at home but I get home around 7 everyday so I prefer to just take a shower, do homework, have dinner, and just go to sleep. And I do try to go to bed early because I wake up at 5 to be at school for my morning basketball practice. So I have time but I have other priorities and it's just easier to upload during class...like I am now. So yes, Tuesdays and Thursdays (I'll let ya'll know if I can't ahead of time.) And trust me, I won't forget because both my favorite shows fall on those days (The Vampire Diaries and The Originals if anyone cares. Although American Horror Story is easily trumping the Originals. I'm on season 1 and it's great.) Okay, enough of scheduling and onto the story!**

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The next day I headed into the school and spent my first block waiting for counselees. It seemed that everyone who wanted to talk had already come by; I doubted I'd have any more students come my way. So when second block started I began to wander the halls until I meandered down into the basement level, wondering what was down there. I was surprised to see Nico sitting on the floor in the stairwell, next to a pile of tiny metal rings, engrossed in…something.

"Hey," I greeted him.  
He looked up from his work and smiled shyly. "Hi."  
"Why are you down here?" I asked him.  
Nico shrugged. "This is where I spend my spare block."  
"By yourself? Why not with friends?"  
Nico looked at me for a long moment. "Kind of hard to make friends in this place. That, and I'm being accused of murdering and injuring my classmates."  
"Right." I felt my face redden slightly. "So…what are you doing?"  
"Making chainmail," he said matter-of-factually, holding up a piece of his work.  
"You make chainmail?"  
"Indeed." He smiled slightly.  
"How do you do it?" Soon I was holding two sets of pliers, engrossed in my attempt to attach metal rings together the way Nico had shown me, oblivious to the time or the people around me. So I almost jumped when a familiar female voice said, "Hey guys!"  
I looked up. Rachel was standing above us, chewing gum loudly and peering down at us. "Hey," I smiled up at her. "You have a spare too?"  
"Yeah." She stared at Nico's project with inquisitive eyes. "Is that chainmail?"  
Nico nodded.  
"Can I make some?" Rachel plopped down on the floor next to me and I showed her what I was doing.  
Once we were all working, Rachel turned her attention to Nico. "So you're the other suspect, huh? Or one of the other three, right?"  
"Apparently," Nico sighed gravely.  
Rachel snapped her gum. "So what's your alibi?"  
"My alibi?"  
"Yeah?" Rachel grinned. "You know, where were you on the Big Day?"  
"Oh." Nico studied his hands for a moment. "It's a little weird," he admitted.  
Rachel waved her hand in dismissal. "Trust me, I can handle weird."  
Nico smiled slightly. "I was actually helping a friend of mine build bricks for a castle keep."  
I turned and looked at him, surprised. Rachel's eyes narrowed. "What?"  
"I'm in a medieval role-play society," He explained. "Basically you create a medieval character and pretend to be the character, and you fight other characters and do medieval stuff." He paused, shifting, and looked over at Rachel. "What about you? What's your alibi?"  
"I was sick," Rachel replied. "Stayed home from school that day."  
"Can't your parents tell the school that?" I asked.  
Rachel shrugged. "They were out all day. They didn't even know that I stayed home." She turned to Nico. "That role-play stuff sounds kind of fun. Do you have a character?"  
Nico nodded. "Sir Lionel, he's a knight."  
I expected Rachel to laugh or make a sarcastic comment but she became quiet for a moment. "You don't play WOW by any chance, do you?"  
Nico raised his eyebrows. "Actually I do."  
"Well there's this guy called Sir Lionel," Rachel told him.  
"Really? What server are you on?"  
The two of them began to talk about their mutual interest and I stored the new information I had learned. Nico is into medieval role play, and he and Rachel both play World of Warcraft.  
As much as I wasn't one to blame teen violence solely on their video and computer games, I supposed there could be a link between their hobbies and any violent tendencies that either of them had. I wonder.  
My thoughts were interrupted by the ring of the lunch bell. I should go back to my post. I stretched my legs and then stood up, waved goodbye to Nico and Rachel, and left them in the stairwell, still engrossed in chainmail and talk of fantasy worlds.

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03/02/13  
So this whole "suspect" thing is really becoming a problem now. At school, everyone's acting like I have some weird disease or something…and there's no proof that I'm the shooter!  
While we're on the topic, who IS the shooter? Is it one of the other suspects, and if so, which one?  
I can't see Annabeth being the shooter at ALL. She's WAY too much of a goody-two-shoe for that. Seriously, the girl makes me want to barf. She's too perfect and too happy. But then again, she's also smart so she might have some secret, clever evil plan up her sleeve.  
Nico? Maybe. That kid is pretty freaky, as far as I know. He seems like the creepy 'wander around a playground in a trench coat just for kicks' type. Totally fits the school shooter stereotype, but in my opinion, stereotypes don't mean anything.  
Then there's Rachel. She's always getting into trouble, somehow. Yelling at teachers, vandalizing signs, writing graffiti in alleyways. She even has that rebellious reputation. So yeah, she could be the shooter.  
Who knows? Maybe it's none of them. Maybe it was a drug addict or someone from a mental ward or some other student…  
Speaking of a mental ward, got to go. Mom's losing it again.

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The writings of Sir Lionel  
The Second of March, Anno Domini 2013  
Alas, it seems that some good has befallen this humble knight in the wake of the school tragedy. I have been befriended by a young maiden by the name of Rachel. She is yet another one of the suspects; therefore I imagine that she has been deserted by her former friends. Perhaps having no true friends at the school before this time has not proven to be such a terrible fate after all. You cannot lose friends that you do not have.  
Rachel and I are the same age, and I am under the impression that she is quite witty. She happens to be a fellow player in the World of Warcraft, and she and I share a common server. I shall seek her out the next time I play. Perhaps this lonely night has, at long last, found an ally in this dark world.

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"So what did you come up with?" Chiron asked me on Friday morning as we sat in his office. "Anything?"  
"Well, I had the chance to talk with all of them except Annabeth." I told him. "I talked to Percy on Tuesday, and I discovered that he's Calypso's ex, and that a lot of the students suspect him because of it."  
At this point, Chiron motioned for me to continue.  
"He also said that no one would listen to his mom." I continued. "Not sure what that was about. The next day, I talked to Nico and Rachel. I didn't come up for any possible motives for either of them, but I did find out that Nico is into medieval role play-he makes chainmail for fun, and doesn't have many friends, and that he and Rachel both play World of Warcraft." I paused. "No idea if any of that's significant."  
Chiron shrugged and Argus wrote my findings down. "Anything else?" Chiron asked.  
"Um yeah." I replied. "I found out their alibi's. Percy took his mom to the doctor's the morning of the shooting and then went to YMCA and central park later on. Rachel was sick, and Nico was doing something related to his medieval stuff."  
"And you haven't talked to Annabeth?"  
"Not yet." I replied. "But if I see her at work I'll try to talk with her then."  
"Speaking of Annabeth," Chiron said. "A few of her friends came by my office and told me that a couple of years back, Annabeth bragged that she knew how to shoot a gun."  
"Really?" I countered, trying to imagine Annabeth with a gun.  
"Her father owns one, and he let her try it out one time, or something like that." He paused. "So even though she seems, to me at least, to be the least likely of the four to shoot someone, she may be the only one who knows how to."  
I nodded.  
"I've looked into all the kids' records," Chiron continued. "and Annabeth's is the cleanest, of course. No trouble anywhere. Percy and Nico are both known to cut class occasionally but neither of them has anything significant on their records. Rachel, on the other hand…" He trailed off, grimacing slightly as he pulled out a file. "Let see here-in the year and half she's been at Goode, she's been in my office 15 times, mostly for giving teachers' attitude and drawing graffiti on the dumpsters."  
"That's not too bad." I commented.  
"However, she had no record of violence, but she's still a suspect. Also, all of the kids have a second period spare. So if you want to keep hanging out with them, you may want to show up during that period, if it works for you."  
"I could do that." I told him. "I wonder what the likelihood would be of getting all four of them to talk with each other."  
"It's worth a shot." Chiron pitched. "Although, I don't know how willing they'd be to hang out with one another-they're four totally different people.  
I chuckled. "Miss Perfect, the laid-back swimmer, the medieval knight, and the trouble maker. What a group they'd be."  
Chiron laughed. "Very true." He nodded at Argus and me. "Well I think that's all we need to talk about today. You can go now, Hestia-have a good day."

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**A/N- I've never seen the Breakfast Club (But I'll watch it on Netflix if they have it) but someone PM-ed me and told me the suspects kinda have something to do with the Breakfast Club. Anyway, check my profile, leave a review or two, and have a great day!**


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N- Back with an update! Random story: I went to some Academic college thing with my mom and they gave her like this list of highly selected schools. There's like Harvard, Princeton, and all those nice places and I really want to go to Brigham Young University. I kid you not, my mom was like listing off all those highly selected schools saying I'd rather have you go here, you can only go here. Harvard is famous for politicians and lawyers. That's not even the career I want to go in and she's like 'go there or Rice.' It would be nice but I really don't want to be in law. But you never know, I might change my mind one day, I am a freshman in highschool.**

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On Sunday, I kept my eyes open for Annabeth. Of course she was present, doing all her usual things-teaching client's kids how to read and write, restocking the coffee machine every hour or so, and checking in and out the clients. After my break, I approached her.  
"How was the trig test?" I asked as I sat down next to her.  
"Okay, I think," She replied with a smile.  
"That's good." I shifted. "So you've had a pretty rough week, huh?"  
Her smile faded and she nodded. "A lot of kids think I did it," she told me. "I told a few of my friends awhile back that I know how to shoot a gun, and they went and told Mr. Brunner." She sighed. "I'm never missing another day of school."  
I took that as cue to ask her about her alibi. "Where were you that day anyway, Annabeth?"  
"Well," she replied, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, "a friend of mine, Thalia, invited me to come to a workshop at Rice University for the weekend. So I was out there all of Friday and Saturday."  
"Well if you were at workshop, you would have been registered, right? They'd have record of your name, of your being there?"  
"Not sure," she replied. "I don't think it was the sort of thing you have to register for. Though Thalia did introduce me to a few teachers. Maybe I could get some statements from them saying that I was at the school or something."  
"That's a good idea," I agreed.  
"Time to go, Annabeth." Annabeth's father was waving at his daughter.  
"Coming, Dad." She replied, then turned to me. "Thanks for being so supportive in all this, Hestia. I really appreciate it. She smiled at me, then grabbed her belongings and followed her father out the building.  
**03/06/13**  
**I had a dream about Calypso last night. In the dream, I saw the shooter going towards her and I jumped on the shooter's back and pulled off the ski mask he was wearing…and it was Hercules. Weird.**  
**But now, thanks to that dream, I can't stop thinking about Calypso. It must be terrible to get shot in the spine, out of all places. I wonder if she can feel her legs or is even conscious. I hope it doesn't take her years to recover, at least.**  
**I want to go visit her but it's probably not a good idea, just in case she thinks I'm the shooter. I know some people have already told her I'm a suspect so I'm not too sure what to do.**  
**I wish Tyson were here-he'd know what to do. You know, I thought I'd miss him less now that it's been about four years but actually, it's gotten worse.**  
On Tuesday I got to Goode just as the second period bell rang. I made my way to the back stairwell of the school and descended into the basement.  
As expected, Nico was sitting in his usual spot, working on his chain mail. I was slightly surprised to find Rachel sitting next to him, talking to him animatedly about something.  
"Hey guys," I greeted them, crouching down so I was eye level with them.  
Nico smiled at me, and Rachel raised her eyebrows. "You again?" She said in a mocking tone. "What's up? Are you stalking us or something?"  
"You caught me, Rachel," I said in a melodramatic, and chuckled. "Actually I wanted to talk to you two about something."  
"What's that?" Rachel asked.  
"Well," I explained, trying to sound casual. "I found out that all four of you guys who are suspects in the shooting case have second period spares. So I've decided that I'm going to stick around the school during second period everyday-if any of you want to talk."  
Nico nodded, seemingly accepting the information I was giving them; Rachel on the other hand, eyed me suspiciously. "And why would you do that?"  
"I already told you, Rachel, I…"  
"No," she cut me off. "Why do you care about us?"  
I stared back at her, uncertain what to say.  
"I mean, you get paid to hang out with teenagers," she continued. "but do you really care? Or is this just part of your job?"  
I blinked several times, still hesitant to say anything. What could I say that was not a lie? "I do care," I finally managed. "Yes, this part of my job but I do it because I care about young people-not money." I smiled. "You included."  
That answer seemed to satisfy her, and she turned back to Nico and began talking to him again. I stood up, waved goodbye, and set off in search of Annabeth and Percy.  
I couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of guilt as I walked away. I felt like a liar, and Rachel was asking a good question-did I actually care about these four teens. Or was I just doing my job, following orders?  
I do care about them, I told myself as I reached the main floor. And really, I hadn't lied, I just didn't tell the whole truth.

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The Daring report  
March 8, 2013  
As it turns out, there may be more afoot in the Goode High school case than one would think. Our attention now turns to a new figure in the situation-not a suspect, but one who seems to have allied herself with the suspects for unknown reasons-a local youth psychiatrist named Hestia.  
Hestia is twenty-five years old, average height for her age with brown hair and eyes, and has been a youth psychiatrist for the last two years.  
There are still many things about this Hestia that remain a mystery though. Why doesn't she have a last name-is she some deity with no last name because the author isn't very creative with names (I mean, look her username.) Where is she from? We can only hope that we can answer this question sooner rather than later.  
However, as Spring Break begins this Friday, we will likely have to wait until later to find the answers we are looking for…  
-R. Dare

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**A/N- ****Check out my profile and don't forget to leave a review!**


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